Still Human
by Kabaneri
Summary: A one-shot about an AU where things went a bit different for Rokuro. How has that changed him and his meeting with Benio?


Benio was hungry. She had run away without thinking and now, she was paying for her mistake. Suddenly, she stopped.

"Kegare!" – she threw a talisman and went in Magano.

…

"Rokuro! You forgot your money." – Ryogo ran after him.

"Thanks."

"No problem. We'll be going out on a job soon, I'll leave some soup for you in case we're late.

"Good luck." – Rokuro slightly smiled and walked away.

Ryogo's eyes lingered on his form and he sighed heavily. It just hadn't been the same ever since that night.

….

A few hours later, Benio was pulled out of the river by Rokuro and then she asked him to bring her to a certain address. The note was so smudged from the water, he couldn't read a thing. In the end, they sat to eat some ohagi at her request.

Rokuro watched passively as she ate the ohagi she bought with his money. Now, he noticed that she wasn't bad-looking and could actually considered cute. He tried to take an ohagi but she glared at him murderously.

With lightning-fast movement, he used 4 disposable chopsticks to skewer most of the dessert and take it from under her nose.

"Hey! Those were mine!" – she protested.

"I bought them. These are mine now." – he smirked and licked them.

"That's not fair! You've ruined them!"

"It's your fault for not sharing! GLUTTON!"

They bickered but Rokuro suddenly went all quiet and passive. Benio was confused from the sudden change.

Rokuro on the other hand scowled. This was not good, he had to keep his cool or he'd get into trouble…

"Kegare!" – Benio suddenly shot up and Rokuro almost fell from the bench he was sitting on.

"I am sorry…" she pulled out a talisman "but I have to leave."

"WAI- What?! What do you mean-" – Rokuro stuttered.

She threw the talisman and a gate opened, she went in.

"Damn it!" – Rokuro bit his lip but a feeling in his gut made him jump after her.

…..

The huge Kegare loomed over her and the child, laughing like there was something funny.

'I never thought this'll be how I end. I have to at least make sure the boy is safe, even if it costs my life!' – Benio grit her teeth under the mask.

On unsteady legs, she stood up and pointed her remaining sword at the monstrosity. She was about to charge at the Kegare when someone tackled her. Before she knew it, Rokuro had carried her and the boy away. He hid them in a ruined building. She looked up at him. He looked tense and was panting.

'What is…?'

She then noticed the unnaturally sharp teeth of Rokuro and how his eyes almost glowed.

…

Rokuro shuddered the moment he stepped through that gate. The sky was blood red, everything was in ruins… He had not seen this place before but some instinct whispered him '_home_'… It made him sick but also made him want to relish in the feeling, to just BE.

He shook his head and grit his teeth.

'This is not the time! FOCUS!' he concentrated on Benio and felt her just ahead 'Good, that girl is not too far. I have to get her out before something bad happens.'

The heavy feeling in his stomach never meant anything good. The first time it was this bad… Hiinatsuki was gone by the next morning.

He ran at full speed, dodging obstacles and small pitfalls, jumped over a wrecked car and skid down a hill. In front of him stood the girl in full onmyoji armor, one missing sword batted to the side, shaky legs and protecting a terrified young boy from a ginormous Kegare.

Without thinking, he acted. He tackled her with inhuman speed, then arried her and the boy to a relatively safe place. The huge Kegare would take a while to reach them, at least. It was at least enough to take a breath.

"What were you thinking?!" – he scolded her, almost growling at her.

"What was I thinking?! What about you?! You jumped here and now I have to protect you too!"

"First, I can protect myself! Second, you should have grabbed the kid and ran, IDIOT!" – Rokuro was shuddering from all the emotions, his teeth bared.

Benio and the boy shrunk back a bit.

"GRRR!" he took a breath to calm himself a bit before doing something he'd be sorry for "OK! You listen to me! Take out one of those talismans and bring us back!"

"Are you crazy?! That Kegare can follow us!"

"Hurry up before-"

The roof of their cover was lifted and the Kegare laughed as the boy screamed.

"See what you did! We could have been out of this place by now!" – he shouted at Benio.

Rokuro knew very well that she could not possibly win against the impurity, the boy was too scared to move, so that left only him. He was their only chance of survivial.

"_**Heheheheehee!**_" – the Kegare leered as it looked down at them.

Rokuro moved and stood in front of the two and scowled at the Kegare.

"I didn't want to do this…" – he said quietly, earning a confused look from Benio.

Rokuro could already feel it as he reached for his talisman. The logical part of his brain was saying that it was a BAD idea although it would mean their survival, the illogical part? Ever since that time, after the seal was placed, it wanted the seal to be gone. To feel free, to breathe fully, to no longer feel like it's carrying a sumo wrestler on his shoulders.

He pulled out a black talisman and took a breath. Benio stared at the black piece of paper with confusion, that is until Rokuro activated it. From the middle of his chest, the seal peeled off and stuck to the paper. Rokuro's body melted and transformed. He grew taller, his shape changing into something that only resembled human in its statue. Two bull-like horns, black limbs and armored torso, all looking as if they're made of magma, red lines pulsing with power.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAH!" – Rokuro roared.

The Kegare suddenly looked terrified and took a few steps back, but it wasn't the only one scared. The young boy screamed his throat out and fainted while Benio trembled.

In her head replayed memories from the time her parents were murdered. The looming creature that had destroyed her family. How, how similar the boy in front of her was, yet how different.

Rokuro launched himself at the Kegare. He slashed with his claws and a wave of crimson energy came out, slicing the giant Kegare. It gave out one last screech before disappearing. He landed on the balls of his clawed feet tightly, much too lightly considering the height he fell from.

Benio finally could move. She scooped the unconscious boy and kept it closer. The seal had concealed it but with it gone, she could definitely feel Rokuro. He felt like a Kegare, a very strong Kegare, but a bit strange at the same time. She wanted to believe that they were safe but was also scared that Rokuro will now turn on her and also kill her like her parents.

Rokuro on the other had shuddered. It felt amazing to get the seal off. He hadn't taken it off since it was placed on him. Was this how he'd felt the day after Hiinatsuki? Everything had been a blur of panic, adrenaline, betrayal and grief, also unmatched anger. He looked down at himself, armored body and everything. His clothes had been ripped, so there was no way he'd walk naked to the dorm. He looked in front of him, the ground itself bearing the marks from his attack in the form of 4 deep gouges. A small purr of pride and satisfaction at his own achievement rose from his chest before he even realized. When he did, he felt mortified. He shook his head furiously, chasing away any instinctual urges he had. Just then, the sound of pebbles rolling downhill made him turn around quickly, prepared for an ambush.

As soon as she realized some dirt had been dislodged from her misstep, she was met with a snarl. The boy had turned around almost instantly. He was crouched like a predator, snarling, teeth bared and revealing that they've become even longer and sharper. She now could see his face and was shocked to see just how human it looked. The black and red stopped a bit below his collarbone, making him look as if he was wearing a V-neck.

"Ah!..." – Benio froze, her free hand creeping towards a spare sword talisman.

Rokuro was confused for a moment, then he remembered that he looked no longer human. His face fell and he quickly stood up and looked away.

"W-We… should go now…" – he managed to say, afraid to look at Benio's face.

It was not pleasant to see the look on somebody's face. He remembered it…

Rokuo stood in the burning remains of Hiinatsuki, he was kneeling, slumped forward. Slowly, the adrenaline gave way to numb horror. What had happened, what he was forced to do… How his friends begged him to kill them. How he screamed and clung desperately to his consciousness during the transformation.

Then, Jiisan and the others had arrived.

They pointed their weapons at him, fury and shock on their faces as they looked at him amidst the fire. The worst, however, was the fear. He truly felt as if he was a monster at that time.

That broke him. He crumbled and wailed, at last. The strong emotions caused arch of crimson energy to shoot off from his body, destroying even more of the place.

He was broken out of it by a hug. That hug, made everything stop and he froze, then another one followed. Rokuro looked up and saw Jiisan and Ryogo hugging him.

"Everything will be fine." – Jiisan said, despite having a gash in his side.

"I-I am sorry… sorry…" – Ryogo was crying.

He just hugged them and cried, the others just hovered there, in the sidelines, not sure what to do.

Benio numbly nodded and opened the gate back. He followed a few steps behind her, staying silent.

Benio carried the boy to the nearest police station, constantly sending looks at Rokuro. After they were done, the two left and just walked, well… it was more like Rokuor walked and the lost Benio followed- she didn't know where they were going. They turned left and bumped into two schoolgirls.

"Sorry!" – Benio apologized.

"Sorry…" – Rokuro mumbled and continued on, without looking up from the ground.

"Be careful next time, girl." – the older girl said.

The other girl looked confused as she rubbed the hand Rokuro had bumped into.

"What was that?" – she asked him as soon as they were far away.

"Oh, that…" a sour and pained look appeared on his face "Well, when I am like this…" he gestured at his body "Regular people can't see me."

At that moment, Benio could almost feel his pain.

"So, where are we going?"

"We? I am going home and you have been following me!" – he shouted and red energy crackled for a second on his skin.

'Oh, no! Calm down Rokuro!'

She felt his energy flicker and suddenly recede, becoming almost unnoticeable.

"Listen… I am going home, you, you can go wherever you were supposed to." – he started walking towards Seika dorms.

"I am lost, so I'm following you. Judging by the fact you had such talisman with you must mean you live or at least have contact with other onmyoji. Maybe they can help me."

"UGH! Fine!"

….

"Rokuroooo!" Ryogo ran out as soon as he felt his aura "Why are you like this? What happened? Who is she-"

"Calm down! I am fine! What about you? I thought you were doing some exorcism?"

"Yeah, we finished earlier. Jiisan is inside and- you should probably go to your room. We have a guest and she might freak out if she sees you looking like this." he then turned to look at Benio "And who are you, miss?"

"I am Adashino Benio."

….

Even though he tried to be sneaky, their guest noticed him, so now Rokuro had to sit through an interrogation. It was natural that he was uncomfortable. Also, apparently Benio and the small old lady were staying with them. _**Joy~**_

"A KEGARE! Have you lost your mind?!" the old woman pointed ad Jiisan "How can you let an abomination like that walk freely in your home?! And you also allow it to mingle with regular humans… UNACCEPTABLE! It should-"

"ROKURO IS **NOT **AN _**IT**_!"

The two argued while Rokuro, Benio and Ryogo stood to the side. Rokuro was now back to how he previously looked, except wearing a white T-shirt and green shorts.

"So… miss Benio…" – Ryogo started.

"Just Benio is fine."

"Oh, then Benio-san, I heard you are staying here for a while."

"Yes, as part of my training. And you…" she looked at Rokuro "Why are you here with exorcists? I thought Kegare were all evil, manipulative and cruel beings. Although… you did save me and that boy, for which I am thankful."

"Feh! You weren't that polite while hoarding all the ohagi I bought."

"And you shouldn't have licked them!"

"Rokuro, what exactly happened?! Also, why ohagi? You don't even like them all that much."

"I'm sorry! OK? It just… _happened!_"

Rokuro and Ryogo exchanged knowing looks and it frustrated Benio. She didn't understand what exactly was happening and that frustrated her.

…

Benio frowned as she walked back to her room. From what she'd been told, Rokuro had originally been a human, an onmyoji in training, then he'd somehow turned into what he was today during the Hiinatsuki tragedy. She was so lost in thought that she bumped into someone.

"Sorry." She looked up "Oh, it's you."

"Yeah, got a problem?" – Rokuro scowled.

"No, in fact, the timing is perfect." she straightened her back "Fight me!"

"What?!"

"You are strong, very strong. I want you to fight me."

"How about no?" – Rokuro was getting frustrated.

"Why? You are strong and from what I heard, you were a very good onmyoji. Why stop?"

"GRRR!" Rokuro growled and she took a step back "I DIDN'T WANT TO!"

Benio was shocked at how the boy in front of her could look so angry and sad at the same time.

"You have NO idea what I went through! I wanted to help people, to destroy the Kegare that hurt those I love, instead…LOOK AT ME! I became a monster!" he spread his arms "I never wanted to stop, I STILL don't want to but it's impossible for me!"

"W-Why?" – she managed to stutter out.

"I not only can't make talismans; I can't even use regular talismans! They hurt me, and it feels terrible… I tried in the beginning, you know." he sobbed "Before Seigen-san gave me the special sealing talisman… it was horrible. None of the neighbors could notice me, those that could… they ran from me like I was some monster! One time, Jiisan left a few talismans and I tried to use one…" he rubbed his right arm "It burned my hand and it was very painful, like my flesh was melted off my bones."

"I-I…" – Benio didn't know what to say.

"After that, my hand healed. I watched as it stitched itself in front of me. It finally cemented the fact that I was not _human_ enough. A few days later my other form got sealed but as you can see… " he gestured at his face "some of it is still noticeable, even with the seal on. I had to give up being an onmyoji for good and all was kept a secret. Seigen-san and the others were thankfully fine with me, but others might react like that granny. They'd see me for what I've become and not who I really am. I am more Kegare than human, I hate it!" he looked her in the eyes "So, please don't make me fight you just because you want to."

Rokuro passed the shocked Benio and went in the bathroom. She, shocked and quite a bit rattled, closed her room's door and just laid in her bed, staring at the ceiling.

**(AN: This is just a short chapter based on an idea: What if Rokuro was like 75% Kegare and 25% human?**

**Anybody that wants to use this idea is welcome to do so! :D I may write more to add to this if a lot of people request it, but it probably won't turn in a full fiction.)**


End file.
